Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 21, 1995 TAG: 9502210091
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
``This guy will never play for us,'' he said.
And with Jennings a mere 5 feet 3 and 115 pounds, who would blame him? But Shaver took a chance on the speedy point guard from William Fleming High School. Now, four years later, he wouldn't trade him for any guard in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.
``Tee does the unsung things and the players know how hard he works,'' Shaver said. ``As a coach, you want to believe in nothing more strongly than senior leadership, and that's what Tee gives us.''
Jennings now stands about 5-5 and weighs 135 ``soaking wet.'' Because of his stature, he said he has spent his whole life proving people wrong on the basketball court.
``If I saw myself walk into the gym I'd think the same thing - this guy can't play,'' Jennings said.
``Every time I walk out on the court I have something to prove to myself and to the team.''
Nate Schwab, a junior forward for the Tigers, disagrees.
``Tee is definitely the key to our team. I know if we all took a vote right now, Tee would be our MVP,'' Schwab said. ``He's a great player, very intense. Before games, he tries to take us all to that same level of intensity.''
Jennings, whose given first name is Torino, averages 5.7 points, 5.1 assists and 3.1 steals for the Tigers, who won the ODAC title Monday at the Salem Civic Center with a 65-55 victory over Roanoke.
The title earned Hampden-Sydney, 25-2 and ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Division III South Region, an automatic bid to the national tournament.
``We're a maturing team. We definitely want to do well, and I think we've put ourselves in position to do that,'' said Jennings, whose defensive tenacity and quickness is well known throughout the league.
Quick describes about every facet of Jennings' life. He waits tables at the restaurant on campus, sings in a gospel choir and is a resident adviser, looking out for 35 freshmen ``who think I know everything.''
Jennings also mans the public address system at Hampden-Sydney football games and occasionally sings the national anthem.
Oh, yeah. He carries a 3.5 grade point average in biochemistry and is preparing for medical school.
On a good night, Jennings said he gets about five hours of sleep.
``In order to get everything done I need to, I have to sacrifice sleep,'' he said. ``But I guess I'm used to it. When I set myself to a task, I'm dedicated to it.''
Next on tap for Jennings is medical school, but he's planning to take a year off to pay some bills and retake the standardized entrance exam. Jennings said he did a little above average on his first try, but ``didn't have a whole lot of time to study.''
Jennings said he thought medicine was the best way for him to combine several interests: science, human relations and kids.
``I want to go into pediatrics,'' he said. ``I love kids and I'm interested in helping them out. Medicine seemed to be a logical choice.''
Jennings is confident the choice and his future will be just as successful as Shaver's.
by CNB